When you shop at a local craft or artisan fair, there is a really good chance that the serving platter and growler holder you just bought were made by the person on the other side of the table, and not in some factory on the other side of the world.

When you shop at a local craft or artisan fair, there is a really good chance that the serving platter and growler holder you just bought were made by the person on the other side of the table, and not in some factory on the other side of the world.

It’s that personal touch that makes a lot of the products that will be filling the upcoming fairs that much more interesting.

“You have that story of meeting the maker and that person is sharing all the energy and technique that goes into that object and that object has much, much more meaning,” says Gordon Hutchens, a four-decade veteran of the Circle Craft Winter Market, which goes next week (Nov. 9-13) at the Vancouver Convention Centre. “Every time you pick up that item or walk past that vase or interact with it, that story comes back and you remember that.”

Now bursting at the seams, this year Circle Craft welcomes 300 artisans, including 50 new vendors, to the 43rd show.

One of those newbies is Dan Emery of East Van Light. A maker of funky Edison bulb and hardwood lamps, Emery — like Hutchens — gets that the personal touch is good publicity.

“It gives me a great opportunity to talk to people who are interested in my product,” says Emery, who started his business 18 months ago. “I can let them know about me and why I am passionate about making these lamps. Tell them the story about how they all come together. People, when they bring them home, love to be able to tell the story.”

Dan Emery, of East Van Light, is a maker of funky Edison bulb and hardwood lamps. Craft fairs, he says, âgives me a great opportunity to talk to people who are interested in my product. I can let them know about me and why I am passionate about making these lamps.â His lamps will be on display at the Circle Craft Winter Market next week.Handout

While the buyer gets a backstory the vendor, bottom line aside, also benefits from the face-to-face transaction.

“I really enjoy the stories I get back from previous customers about how that piece moved through the family or different stories related to the piece that come back to me,” says Hutchens, who calls Denman Island home.

Andrea and Robert Tucker, the folks behind the Got Craft fair on Dec 10 and 11 in North Vancouver, say fairs also tick the social box.

Handsome Mountain Pet Supplies will be at next weekâs Circle Craft Winter Market at the Vancouver Trade and Convention Centre.Handout

“People still love to meet a friend, get a coffee, walk around for 45 minutes to an hour,” says Robert, who with Andrea owns the retail store London Fields Shoppe. “They chat and shop, meet some vendors. You know, especially if you don’t do a creative job, it’s kind of neat to meet these people that may be doing something you might have wanted to have done.”

Now in its 10th year, Got Craft has 85 vendors, 35 of those are new.

So what’s big in the land of fair trade?

Lana Lepper of LanaBetty Designs shows some of her jewelry, which utilizes 3D printing to create different shapes and angular lines. She will be at Got Craft in North Vancouver next month (Dec. 10-11).Arlen Redekop /
PNG

The Tuckers report bath and paper products will stand out in their show. Over at Olympic Village for Portobello West (Nov. 26 and 27), market manager Shal Sharma says: “Wooden products are a big trend this year and fashion is making a comeback in our market.”

Sharma also adds that from the tub to toys to togs, today’s parents want organic, handmade kids stuff.

“I’ve seen my tastes and trends change once I had a child,” says Sharma.

Bath and paper products like this, from The Beautiful Project, will stand out at the Got Craft fair in North Vancouver next month (Dec. 10-11).Handout

If you are looking for a smaller-scale show (25 vendors) that channels money back into a community of creative people, then The Western Front’s Toque fundraiser and fair on Dec. 2-4 will fit you like a custom-made sweater.

Partial proceeds and the sale of a limited edition tea towel ($12 designed by Maggie Boyd) go to support the Western Front’s programs.

“Like most craft fairs it is nice for people to sit and talk to the person that they are going to buy from, make that personal connection,” says Caitlin Jones of the Western Front. “Then they can see by talking with us (organizers) that when they are purchasing they are not only supporting that artist, but they are supporting an institution whose mandate is to also support artists, so they are doubly kind of contributing to the creative life of the city.”

And at the end of the day, a healthy city needs a healthy, creative community.

“I think very much you’ll find that these are the people that develop culture in a society,” says Paul Yard, who has been producing Circle Craft since 1984. “The artist, the actors, the crafts people — they’re the ones that create the sorts of things that make life worth living.”

Vancouver-based Green With Envyâs botanical-inspired designs will be at next monthâs Got Craft fair in North Vancouver next month (Dec. 10-11).Handout

Fairs farther afield

Craft fair stalwarts say social media and the ability to quickly pull together a community has gone a long way to boost the popularity of craft fairs. A quick internet search reveals fairs and shows all over the province. To help you in your bid to find a unique, handcrafted item, we’ve picked 10 more fairs. For even more show listings, head to The Province and Vancouver Sun listings pages:

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